


cities under crowns

by cucumberwater



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, awkward teenagers, based on chapter 6 of the first book, mark lee is an unintentional asshole, raven cycle au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 06:10:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17441420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cucumberwater/pseuds/cucumberwater
Summary: He might be the furthest thing from superstitious but he has to admit that there was something magical about Donghyuck.





	cities under crowns

**Author's Note:**

> hello i have returned to my nct roots because i am in love with the dreamies, this is super short but i just love love loved! the idea of a raven cycle au and i might plan a whole series based off it (maybe idk) but yeah! the titles from Seaside Improvisation by Richard Siken. i had so much fun writing this even though I probably made a ton of mistakes ; ~ ;

Renjun was the furthest thing from superstitious, preferring the cold hard facts placed right in front of his face instead of believing in things that never really had any definitive proof. It made it mind boggling for other people to comprehend why he was in the circle of Mark Lee who's whole life was centered around looking for lost dead kings and resurrecting them for a chance of greater fulfillment. Maybe a part of Renjun genuinely wanted to believe in something greater than the pathetic existence each individual was forced to live out in repetition, or maybe a more cruel part of him just wants to see the great Mark Lee finally give up, to finally not get something because it can't be handed to him on a silver platter. Renjun doesn't dwell on it long enough to figure it out. 

 

The thing is, Huang Renjun, seventeen, and very much a non-believer just swears that he feels Lee Donghuck tug at him before he even gets a chance to turn around and actually see him. It was perplexing, the feeling of warmth and brightness without the blinding sunlight just pulling at his chest to turn around and there he was, standing all bronzed and beautiful, even in the dull red uniform the pizza place provided Donghyuck just outshone everything that was there. Of course at that time Renjun just brushes off the unnatural way his heart almost jumps out of his chest, at that time he just thinks 'Wow that waiter is really cute.' And says it out loud for his friends to hear and look with him. 

 

"He looks like he could eat you alive," Jaemin says, leaning on his elbows to get a better look at Donghyuck, who was more observant than they all thought and turns to look at them, giving a thoroughly unimpressed eyeroll before stalking to a different table to get their orders. "I don't know if you could take him Injun." 

 

Renjun swats at Jaemin from across the table. "Who said I was gonna do anything about it anyways?" He snipes, "I was just making an observation." 

 

Mark blinks at him, "You're not going to ask him out?" He asks, genuinely confused. "Why not?" 

 

"Because," Renjun shrugs. He doesn't bother continuing his answer. Sometimes Mark doesn't really realize the privilege he has, not only in social hierarchy, but also in brains, talent, and good looks, his locker was a flooded mess of rumpled love letters and suspicious looking sweet things which he never really notices because of his obsession with ley lines and dead Welsh kings anyway. 'Asking people out isn't that easy,' Renjun wants to say 'Especially when you have a scholarship to maintain, three jobs to keep up, and a dead king to find.' He wants to add, but he doesn't because he knew that it would just prolong the conversation about crushes, and work, and wasting time in an argument about having absolutely no time at all. 

 

Turns out, he doesn't even need to say anything, or ask anyone out, because Mark was getting up and out of his seat before Renjun even has time to look up. "Where are you going?" He asks.

 

"I'm getting you a date dude," Mark replies.

 

"Oh man I would love to see how this turns out," Jeno says the only contribution he has made to this conversation, and it wasn't even helpful in the slightest.

 

"Excuse me," Mark says, tapping Donghyuck who startles from where he was not sweeping the floor in the corner. "Do you mind if I take a moment of your time."

 

"Oh god," Jeno exclaims, whether the tone of his voice was delighted or distraught was indecipherable. "He's using his leader voice." Jaemin lets out a snort, slapping the table as he realizes it too. 

 

Let it be known that Mark Lee was a wonderful human being, who was humble and caring towards his friends, and respectful and kind towards anybody else. As much as they all admire this part of Mark Lee, there were different tones of voices that he used for different types of situations. In the past 2 years that Renjun has known him, he has managed to distinguish the many faceted voices of Mark Lee:

 

Like his Star Pupil voice which he used at school in front of teachers, board members, and over-involved rich parents being toured around campus.

 

His Boy Crush voice which Mark had first used on Renjun when they first met when he asked Renjun to help him with his car troubles, it made Renjun's heart skip a beat although he must argue that this voice specifically makes almost everyone's hearts either stop or beat frantically out of its chest cavity, not that Mark Lee himself is aware of this.

 

His I Just Woke Up From My Insomnia Laden Attempt At Sleeping voice which Renjun hears whenever he drops by in the morning, this voice in particular also makes Renjun's heart go nuts except he has the special privilege of hearing this voice privately, again, not that Mark Lee is aware of his own boyish charms.

 

And his Leader voice, authoritative and full of charisma, maybe just borderline asshole-ish, but Mark Lee was oblivious to any of the voices he puts, so they just let it slide. (Most of the time, sometimes.)

 

Donghyuck raises an eyebrow, letting the broom he was holding and not using lean the the wall near him. "Time's money, every moment you're taking right now if being docked from my paycheck, sir." He shakes his head and grabs the broom again, this time actually using it to sweep the immediate area and decidedly ignore Mark. 

 

"He's blowing this!" Jaemin exclaims from their table, "I can't believe Mark Lee, of all people, is blowing this!" He throws his head to the side to laugh in Jeno's shoulder. 

 

"I'm pretty sure they can hear you,"Jeno whispers, glancing to the side at Donghyuck and Mark who were, in fact, within earshot and looking straight at them.

 

"Raven boys..." Donghyuck grumbles before inching away.

 

Mark reaches out and stops Donghyuck with a polite hand to his shoulder, a hand which Donghyuck not so politely smacks away, "Sorry," Mark mumbles, his voice goes to Boy Crush mode and Renjun wonders if it was him or Mark Lee who was going to end up with a date after this. "It's just, my friend over there, his name's Renjun by the way, well he thinks you're really really cute, but he's way too shy to ask you out on a date himself, so it wouldn't hurt if you gave him your phone number and talked to him for a little bit right?" 

 

"Oof saved it," Jeno snickers.

 

"I don't have a phone," Donghyuck answers coldly, ignoring Jeno's 'Uh, apparently not,' in the background. "And I wasn't joking about my paycheck being docked if my manager see me fooling around. Tell your Raven boy that unlike the rest of you I can't risk being fired from work that gives me actual income to help with finances." 

 

Mark blinks at him, they all end up blinking at Donghyuck. 

 

"Wow," Jeno says.

 

Wow indeed, Renjun thinks, and an even bigger wow when Mark Lee decides that he wasn't backing down. A part of Renjun is genuinely touched by his friend, but most of him just wants to drag Mark back to their booth before they get banned from their regular pizza joint permanently. 

 

"Just one little chat," Mark pleads, "I can talk to your manager and pay for the rest of your hours." 

 

This, unsurprisingly, was a very terrible move on Mark's part, Donghyuck's eyebrows raise so high they go go under his pizza cap uniform, his chest puffing up in indignation. "Pay for my hours?" He asks, Mark, finally catching up to Donghyuck's spite, does not reply. "Like some kind of hooker? Is that it?"

 

Mark gapes for a second before replying, "That is not what I intended to convey." 

 

"You sure? 'Cause it sounds like your trying to buy me for your friend over there," he gestures his towards Renjun who had his face buried in his hands and was wishing that they went for takeout instead. "Is that how you see people like me? Something entertaining to croon over, our time which we sacrifice our sweat and blood something so easily bought for you Raven Boys."

 

"I really didn't mean it in that sense, I promise." Mark pleads. "I'm sorry that you misunderstood my intentions, but I had genuinely good intentions. I-"

 

"Please-" Donghyuck interrupts, shaking his head in disdain, "Just pay your bill and leave." 

 

"That-that's fair," Mark sighs in defeat, "Again I'm really sorry," but Donghyuck doesn't even pay attention anymore as he turns around and continues sweeping on the other side of the restaurant. 

 

"That was terrible!" Jeno chirps as Mark drags himself back to their booth, he mimics a plane crashing down with his hands then finishes it with a dreadful exploding sound. Mark glares at him. 

 

"Whatever," Mark says, "Renjun I'm so sorry I wasn't able to help you and you'll probably never land a date with him ever now." He sounds genuinely guilty about the whole thing and Renjun couldn't find it in himself to get mad. 

 

"That's why I told you to leave it," Renjun shrugs. "Oh well..."

 

Jaemin groans, "This is why we should have went for gelato instead." 

 

* * *

 

That night, with the sweat drying on Renjun's oil covered overalls he bikes down the road in the dead of night exhausted from work. He lets the wind guide his way through, and closes his eyes for a moment to relish the fresh air hitting his face and the sounds of crickets chirping around him. When he opens his eyes he sees the the glowing neon lights of the pizza joint nearing him, and on instinct makes a turn and finds himself turning towards the restaurant's parking lot. 

 

In that parking lot, out of his dull red uniform and in some tattered electric blur jumper, Donghyuck stands under and bathes in the restaurant's neon lights, he's busy unlocking his own bicycle and is completely unaware of Renjun slowly approaching him. 

 

"Hey," Renjun says.

 

Donghyuck lifts his head from his bike and turns to look at him. "My shift just ended so I don't think you can pay for it now." 

 

Renjun closes his eyes, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise from his neck to the very top of his head and sucks in a cold breath through his teeth. "Listen, about that. I'm really sorry about how Mark acted, I swear he has a lot more tact most of the time, I guess it's just been a while since he's actually interacted with someone who isn't from school."

 

"So he insulted me because I'm not a Raven Boy?" Donghyuck asks, still unimpressed.

 

"No!" Renjun jumps in to reply, but pauses to consider. "Yes? I don't know, he can be very unintentionally insulting at times but it's really his best intentions at heart." Donghyuck stares Renjun down some more and it makes him turn away. "Sorry..." he says again.

 

"Unintentionally insulting huh," Donghyuck asks, letting his defenses down and quirking a little smile.

 

"Oh yeah, it's like a natural skill to him at this point." Renjun focuses on how nice Donghyuck's mouth pulls upwards and gives a smile of his own too. 

 

They both end up laughing and Renjun barely notices Donghyuck taking a step towards him. "So you're telling me not to take anything Mark says at heart?" he says.

 

"Well not _everything,_ " Renjun answers, confidence rising in his chest, he takes a small step towards Donghyuck and sees the neon lights shining down Donghyuck's cheekbones and lips, all at one Renjun thinks of how badly he wants to lean down and kiss him, hold his hand, take him on nice dates, watch him wake up in the morning, and kiss him, and kiss him, and kiss him. "I mean he got that part right about me wanting to ask you out on a date."

 

Donghyuck's eyes widen, and his breath catches for a moment. "You're asking me?"

 

All of a sudden Renjun's confidence just crumbles and he wonders if it was the wrong thing to say, if he also managed to insult Donghyuck, if they were definitely banned from the pizza joint for life. "Oh shit, am I not supposed to? I'm so sorry. I thought we were having a moment and I really didn't-"

 

Donghyuck stops him with a hand on his shoulder, warm and soft despite the cold air blowing around them. "Dude it's fine," he says shaking his head with a laugh. "I'd love to go on a date with you," he looks up at Renjun with eyes twinkling brighter than any star Renjun had ever seen in his life. 

 

"That's...great! Oh my go this is so great..." Renjun exhales, smiling as well and he leans back on his bike. 

 

They stand in front of each other for a few more minutes, feet scuffling against the gravel as they look at each other with bright eyes and ruddy cheeks. Donghyuck huffs, "Um... I don't really have a phone so, you can meet me here tomorrow? After class?" 

 

Renjun's about to agree when he remembers the plan he set with Mark and the others about meeting a psychic after all their classes and curses under his breath. "I cant," Renjun replies honestly, mustering up his most apologetic look. "But I can definitely take you out on a date after that I promise." he crosses his heart dramatically and it makes Donghyuck laugh, and _man_  it was such a nice laugh. 

 

"Okay, _okay..."_  Donghyuck says, still laughing. "After then." he looks up at Renjun one last time and smiles as he unlocks and hitches on his bike. "It's a date then." he waves goodbye as he pedals off and leaves Renjun behind a trail of gravel dust and dazed eyes. 

 

Renjun turns around to ride his own bike and look up at the sky and smiles.

 

He might be the furthest thing from superstitious but he has to admit that there was something magical about Donghyuck. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> hmu about nct, the raven boys and ip here!! [twt](https://twitter.com/zhu_magnet) and [cc](https://curiouscat.me/zhu_magnet)


End file.
